The present invention relates generally to personal telephone systems configured to transmit and receive digital signals between mobile sets and fixed stations in a cordless system. More particularly, the present invention relates to an alarm system with speech recognition user interface for use in the cordless phone system.
Conventional alarm clocks are often difficult to program and provide only a limited selection of wake up signals (e.g., buzzer, music). Alarms clocks are typically located in places such as bedrooms which also contain telephones. Cordless telephones are typically placed in a bedroom if a house is not wired with telephone jacks in the bedroom.
Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) cordless phone systems provide a base unit capable of providing connections for a plurality of mobile units, such as telephone handsets. Such TDMA systems use time division to provide a plurality of slots, where the base (fixed unit) transmits to an individual mobile (portable) unit during a particular slot of time. One standard for TDMA systems is the Digital European Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) common interface standard described in ETS 300 175-2 and ETS 300 175-3, published by the European Telecommunication Standards Institute. The DECT standard is also discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,078,574 entitled xe2x80x9cProcess and Apparatus for Action Control in a Time Slot Methodxe2x80x9d, to Boetzel et al., issued Jun. 20, 2000 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,088,338 entitled xe2x80x9cMethod and System for the Determination of the PSCN Parameter Starting From the MFN Parameter in a DECT Cordless Telephone Systemxe2x80x9d, to Rosella et al., issued Jul. 11, 2000, which are both incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
It would be desirable to provide an alarm capability in the cordless phone system to eliminate the need for an alarm clock. Furthermore, it would be advantageous if the user interface for the alarm was simplified from conventional alarm clocks.
A method for transmitting an alarm over a cordless broadcast system having a base station in communication with a mobile unit and a computer is disclosed. The computer includes a speech recognition system. The method generally comprises requesting an alarm setting for a specified time with a voice command at the mobile unit and storing the requested alarm setting in the computer. The alarm is broadcast at the specified time to the mobile unit.
An alarm system for use in a cordless broadcast system generally comprises a plurality of mobile units and a base station operable to broadcast audio to the plurality of mobile units. A computer, coupled to the base station, includes a speech recognition system configured to recognize speech commands to enter an alarm setting. The computer is operable to store the alarm setting and initiate a broadcast of the alarm from the base station to a specified mobile unit.
In another aspect of the invention, an alarm system for use in a cordless telephone system generally comprises a plurality of cordless telephones and a base station having a controller operable to broadcast audio to the plurality of cordless telephones. The system further includes a computer coupled to the base station and having an alarm application operable to receive alarm settings specifying a time, type of audio signal, and the cordless telephone, and transmit the alarm to the base station at the specified time such that the base station broadcasts the specified type of audio signal to the specified cordless telephone.
The above is a brief description of some deficiencies in the prior art and advantages of the present invention. Other features, advantages, and embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description, drawings, and claims.